Wednesday, January 21, 2015

NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposal to revise the
guidelines for National Standard 1, 3 and 7 of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The National Standard
guidelines assist the eight regional fishery management councils and
NOAA Fisheries in developing effective fishery management plans.

“The proposed revisions clarify and streamline the National Standard
guidelines, address concerns raised by partners and stakeholders during
the implementation of annual catch limits and accountability measures,
and provide flexibility to address fishery management issues,” said
Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “The
proposed revisions, if implemented, will result in better-managed and
more sustainable fisheries.”

The National Standard 1 guidelines provide guidance on preventing
overfishing while achieving the optimum yield (the amount of fish which
will provide the greatest overall benefit to the Nation, particularly
with respect to food production and recreational opportunities) from
each U.S. fishery. The National Standard 3 guidelines provide guidance
on managing a stock as a unit throughout its range, and the National
Standard 7 guidelines address minimizing costs and avoid duplication in
fisheries management.

The proposed revisions do not establish new requirements or require
councils to revise their current fishery management plans. Rather, they
offer additional clarity and potential flexibility in meeting current
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act mandates.

● Clarifying guidance on which stocks require conservation and management;

● Enhancing current efforts by the councils to apply ecosystem approaches to management;

● Providing for more stable fisheries through guidance on multiyear
overfishing determinations, phasing in results of new stock assessments
and the carryover of the unused portion of annual catch limits to
subsequent years;

Friday, January 16, 2015

Last Year New York seemed to get the ball rolling when the DEC announced a reduction of $20 for a nonresident fishing license. Not only was that a sweet move, they also changed the license year renewal and instead made fishing licenses good for 365 days. In other words, no matter what date you buy your fishing license, it's good for 365 days.

Now I just read where Michigan has reduced their nonresident fishing license cost. Their fishing license went from $76 to $68. These states mention increased tourism as their motive for reducing the fees. I'm not so certain that a $20 or less savings is going to alter anyone's fishing vacation plans, but it is a good gesture and if nothing else, it gives these states another reason to highlight their excellent fisheries.

Pennsylvania also announced this past fall that they too are lowering the nonresident fishing license fee. They dropped it a buck. That's right $1. Not even enough to get a dollar coffee when you add in the states six cents tax. I do realize that a dollar is a dollar, I'm not a wealthy man with excess cash to throw around, but there are times when a dollar becomes a joke, as in an insult. $52.70 down to $51.70. What was the Pennsylvania Fish Commission even thinking?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Minimum of Three to Four Inches of Solid Ice is Usually Safe for Anglers on
Foot

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today
reminded ice anglers to enjoy the ice responsibly. Three to four inches of solid
ice is usually safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. Ice thickness can vary on
every body of water or even within the same body of water. Anglers should be
particularly wary of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses
where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice buildup. The presence of
snowmobile tracks or footprints on the ice should not be taken as evidence of
safe ice conditions.

Individuals are strongly encouraged to check ice conditions and avoid
situations that appear to present even a remote risk. Testing the thickness of
ice can easily be done with an auger or ice spud at various spots.

"Ice fishing is a very popular sport in New York State and interest in the
sport is increasing," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "Unlike other fishing
techniques that may require a boat or special equipment, ice fishing is
relatively simple and inexpensive. All one needs is a warm pair of boots, a good
ice auger, some tip-ups or a jigging rod and the willingness to walk a bit to
have success."

Based on DEC's last statewide angler survey, more than 800,000 days are spent
ice fishing New York's waters annually. For more information on ice
fishing, visit DEC's website.

The use of fish for bait is very popular when ice fishing and bait fish may
be used in most but not all waters that are open to ice fishing. Visit the DEC
website for a list of special
regulation by county to find out where bait fish can and cannot be used, and
for other regulations that apply to baitfish at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html

Anglers are reminded to take these important steps when using baitfish while
ice fishing:

Follow the bait fish regulations to prevent the spread of harmful fish
diseases and invasive species (please see: Special
Regulations by County).

Use only certified disease-free bait fish purchased at a local tackle store,
or use only personally collected bait fish for use in the same water body in
which they were caught.

Do not reuse baitfish in another water-body if you have replaced the water
they were purchased in.

Dump unused baitfish and water in an appropriate location on dry land.

Anglers looking for a good place to ice fish should check out DEC's Public
Lakes and Ponds map available on DEC's website. This interactive map
provides recommendations on waters open to ice fishing provided by DEC
staff.

Anglers are reminded to make sure that they have a valid fishing license
before heading out on the ice. Fishing licenses are now valid for 365 days from
the date of purchase.

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon
Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online
citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display
results in near real-time.

You're invited to participate! Simply tally the numbers and kinds of
birds you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 13-16, 2015. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world!

If you’re new to the count, first register online then
enter your checklist. If you have already participated in another
Cornell Lab citizen-science project, you can use your existing login.

On the www.birdcount.org website,
participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what
others are reporting during and after the count. All participants are
entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars,
books, CDs, and many other great products.

Those interested in participating in the GBBC can find more information by visiting www.birdcount.org. For questions and comments, please contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or the National Audubon Society:

NOAA has selected two sites in the southeast and Caribbean as Habitat
Focus Areas -- places where the agency can maximize its habitat
conservation investments and management efforts to benefit marine
resources and coastal communities. These two new areas are Puerto Rico’s
Northeast Reserves and Culebra Island, and Florida’s Biscayne Bay.

Under NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint, which provides a framework for NOAA to effectively improve habitats for fisheries, marine life, and coastal communities, Habitat Focus Areas
are selected to prioritize long-term habitat science and conservation
efforts. As a Habitat Focus Area, NOAA and partners will provide
conservation planning and development of a watershed management plan.

“This effort will
promote the exchange of ideas and transfer of best management practices
between the two sites. NOAA is eager to bring the whole team to the
table with our partners to focus on these areas and achieve benefits for
these communities and natural resources."

Northeast Reserves and Culebra Island, Puerto Rico

The Northeast Reserves and Culebra habitats are home to coastal
forests, wetlands, a bioluminescent lagoon, seagrass beds, shallow and
deep coral reefs, and miles of pristine beaches. Popular for
recreational, subsistence, and commercial fishing, the area also
contains habitats that are vital to several threatened and endangered
species. The site also supports the economy through marine
transportation and tourism.

However, the ecological richness of the area is vulnerable to impacts
from development, land-based pollution, fishing, and climate change.

NOAA is already engaged in a variety of coral research to support
management efforts. The agency will also reduce threats to the habitats
through conservation projects, long-term monitoring and research
activities, habitat mapping, and training and education programs in the
area.

Biscayne Bay, Florida

Biscayne Bay is a shallow, subtropical ecosystem with extensive
seagrass cover, and a mangrove fringe along most of its shoreline. The
bay contains more than 145,000 acres of habitat that is essential to
commercially important species such as grouper and snapper in their
early life stages. The bay supports many living marine resources,
including protected species such as green and loggerhead sea turtles,
bottlenose dolphins, and several threatened coral species. The bay’s
ecosystem contributes to the economy of the surrounding area.

Scientists and resource managers are concerned that water quality
issues could result in widespread loss of seagrass cover. NOAA will work
to better understand water quality issues.

NOAA’s dedicated the first Habitat Focus Area in California’s Russian
River watershed in 2013. Since then, the agency has added Guam’s
Manell-Geus watershed, the west side of Hawaii’s Big Island, and
Alaska’s Kachemak Bay.

Next steps for the Puerto Rico and Florida areas include developing implementation plans for each area.

Friday, January 09, 2015

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced over
$21 million will be provided to 25 projects in 13 coastal and Great
Lakes states to protect, restore or enhance more than 11,000 acres of
coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the National Coastal
Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

State and local governments, private landowners, conservation
groups and other partners will contribute over $35 million in additional
funds to these projects, which include acquiring, restoring or
enhancing coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term
conservation benefits to fish and wildlife and their habitats.

“Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the
world,” said Director Ashe. “The nation’s coastal resources provide
resting, feeding and breeding habitat for 75 percent of waterfowl and
other migratory birds, and nearly 45 percent of the nation’s endangered
and threatened species are dependent on coastal habitats. Coastal
wetlands also provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services through
drinking water filtration, buffering against storms and flood control,
as well as billions more to support local economies through outdoor
recreation-related expenditures and jobs.”

The program, funded in part through taxes paid on equipment and
fuel purchases by recreational anglers and boaters, creates significant
benefits for other recreationists and the American public. The billions
of dollars generated through recreational angling, boating, waterfowl
hunting and bird watching benefit communities in the vicinity of
wetlands restoration projects.

States and territories receiving funds are Delaware, California,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey,
Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington. Click here for the complete list of projects funded by the 2015 grant program.

Wetlands in coastal watersheds in the U.S. are experiencing a net annual loss of more than 80,000 acres according to a recent
report by the Service, highlighting the importance of coastal wetland
conservation. Conservation of this habitat will not only benefit coastal
wetland-dependent wildlife, but will also enhance flood protection and
water quality, and provide economic and recreational benefits to
anglers, boaters, hunters and wildlife watchers.

The Service awards grants of up to $1 million to states based on a
national competition, which enables states to determine and address
their highest conservation priorities in coastal areas. Since 1992, the
Service has awarded over $357 million in grants under the program.

“This program provides states with an extraordinary opportunity
to address conservation priorities in coastal areas at a time when
coastal wetlands are under siege from the combined forces of development
and climate change,” said Ashe. “These coastal wetlands grants are more
important than ever in helping to ensure the resilience of coastal
communities and the preservation of our wildlife heritage.”

Examples of projects receiving grants today are:

Beltz Farm Acquisition Project, Oregon
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is awarded $970,500 to acquire,
permanently protect and manage as a state natural area, 244 acres of
coastal estuarine habitat within the Sand Lake estuary in Tillamook
County. The Beltz Farm parcels include coastal estuary and freshwater
wetlands, coastal dune habitat, ocean shore and forest and upland scrub
habitats. Two creeks on the property provide spawning and rearing
habitat and connect to additional habitat upstream. Conservation of
Beltz Farm has long been a priority of the local community,
conservationists and state agencies due to the diversity of coastal
habitats, the pristine condition of the estuary and its importance to
listed and sensitive species including more than 100 bird species,
amphibians and fish. Beltz Farm has been under significant development
pressure in recent decades, with proposals for resorts, golf courses and
condominiums all pursued.

Altama Plantation Acquisition – Phase 2, Georgia
Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) is awarded $1 million
to acquire and protect approximately 2,370 acres of the Altama
Plantation. The area is made up of tidal wetlands, inland maritime
forests and adjacent uplands in the Lower Altamaha River watershed. The
lower Altamaha River watershed is designated as one of the “Last Great
Places” by The Nature Conservancy, and is a top State Wildlife Action
Plan priority. It boasts the highest documented number of rare plants,
animals, and natural community occurrences in Georgia and is one of the
most ecologically diverse habitats in the southeast. This project is
part of a larger initiative by the GA DNR, The Nature Conservancy, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Forest Service to
conserve 4,038 acres of priority habitat in the lower Altamaha River
system. The Altamaha watershed provides critical habitat for nesting,
breeding and feeding neotropical migratory birds and colonial
waterbirds.

Point Abbaye and Huron Bay Coastal Wetlands Acquisition, Michigan
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Keweenaw Land Trust
are awarded $1 million to acquire four privately owned parcels of high
quality, intact coastal wetlands and near-shore aquatic habitats on the
Abbaye Peninsula and Huron Bay of Lake Superior in Baraga County. The
parcels total 1,374 acres and include nearly a mile of Lake Superior
shoreline. The Lake Superior basin in northern Michigan has some of the
most diverse, intact and ecologically significant habitats remaining in
the Great Lakes region. The Keweenaw and Abbaye Peninsulas are major
migratory bird corridors, especially notable for raptors and waterfowl.
The project area’s large, forested wetland and riparian habitats support
wide ranging mammals such as gray wolves, black bear and bobcat in
addition to a large diversity of bird species. This project will protect
and enhance coastal wetlands in a relatively pristine portion of
Michigan that is increasingly being threatened by development.

Tidmarsh Farms Restoration Project, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game was awarded $790,290 to
restore 250 acres of recently retired cranberry bogs and supporting
upland grassland and forest in the southeastern part of the state. The
project will restore wetland communities by removing dams and water
control structures and thousands of tons of sediment, and installing a
culvert to reconnect the hydrology in the Beaver Dam Brook watershed.
The project will be the largest freshwater wetlands restoration effort
to date in Massachusetts, and includes a cutting edge, long-term
monitoring component led by the landowners and involving Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Audubon and several other
organizations. The same restoration strategy was used at the Eel River
Headwaters Restoration Project in Plymouth Massachusetts, which was
supported by a 2008 grant. Although the project site is privately owned,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service holds a conservation easement on 192 acres and Massachusetts
Audubon is acquiring the site as a wildlife sanctuary.

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is
administered by the Service and funded under provisions of the 1990
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is
provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an
excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

Adult steelhead (a strain of rainbow trout) returning from Lake Ontario to
the Salmon River in Oswego County are exhibiting signs of stress and elevated
mortality rates due to an apparent thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency, New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens
announced today.

DEC scientists enlisted the help of fish health experts in other agencies and
academia to determine the cause of this disorder. DEC staff submitted moribund
Salmon River steelhead to the Cornell University Aquatic Animal Health Program
for testing. Results indicate that fish pathogens are not responsible for the
abnormal behavior and mortality. DEC also sent steelhead samples to the U.S.
Geological Survey's Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory for further lab
testing. Results strongly indicate a severe thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency,
which means it is likely contributing to the steelhead mortality.

"Lake Ontario steelhead are an important component of Lake Ontario's sport
fishery and DEC is deeply concerned about reports of steelhead stress and
mortality in the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries," Commissioner
Martens said. "Steelhead provide high-quality sport fisheries in the open lake
and are especially sought after by anglers who fish in tributaries from fall
through spring. DEC staff will continue to work closely with federal agencies,
Cornell University and other stakeholders to identify the cause of the current
situation and strategies to ensure a robust steelhead population."

In mid-November, DEC fisheries staff began to receive reports of steelhead
swimming erratically in the Salmon River and higher mortality of the species.
More recent reports indicate similar behavior in steelhead in other Lake Ontario
tributaries.

Steelhead are an important component of Lake Ontario's sport fishery, which a
Cornell University study valued at over $112 million in angler expenditures in
New York annually.

Great Lakes fish predators (including salmon and steelhead) that feed
primarily on alewife are prone to thiamine deficiency. Alewife, an invasive bait
fish in the Great Lakes, are known to contain thiaminase, an enzyme that
degrades thiamine. A thiamine deficiency can impact egg quality and the survival
of eggs and newly hatched fish, and, in severe cases, can cause the death of
adult fish.

DEC is taking steps to meet its spring 2015 steelhead egg-take targets at
Salmon River Hatchery, and will work with Great Lakes agency partners to provide
assistance in meeting egg take quotas, if needed. Staff from DEC's Rome Fish
Disease Control Unit and Salmon River Hatchery are preemptively injecting adult
steelhead returning to the hatchery with thiamine. Thiamine-injected fish will
be held in outdoor raceways at the hatchery and fed a diet fortified with
vitamin B to improve the likelihood of successful steelhead egg collections in
2015.

However, little can be done to alleviate the mortality of adult steelhead
that are unable to ascend the river and reach the hatchery's holding facilities.
Although moderate thiamine deficiencies are not uncommon in top predator fish
such as salmon, lake trout and steelhead in Lake Ontario and other waters, this
year's acute deficiency is atypical in its severity. DEC staff will continue to
collaborate with experts to further understand the circumstances leading to this
year's mortality.

Monday, January 05, 2015

A father and son fishing team are facing misdemeanor illegal
commercialization charges after New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) caught them violating summer flounder trip
limits when their boat returned to port in Southampton late last month, the
agency announced today.

Two ECOs boarded the FV Mary Elizabeth, a 60-foot
Stern trawler, when it returned to port on December 22 at the Southampton town
dock in Shinnecock Inlet. During their inspection, officers examined the Fishing
Vessel Trip Report (FVTR) which reported 210 pounds of summer flounder, the
current legal limit.

However, further inspection and weighing of catch on the
deck and in the hold found six hundred pounds of summer flounder, approximately
398 pounds over the legal limit.

"New York State's proud commercial fishing tradition goes back hundreds of
years," DEC Regional Director Peter A. Scully said. "It is regrettable when a
few bad actors tarnish the reputation of a sound and admirable profession. We
are very fortunate to have a police force which works tirelessly to prevent
these individuals from taking advantage of our natural resources."

Facing charges are John Berglin, 56 of Hampton Bays, the vessel's owner and
operator, and his son, Scott, 25, also of Hampton Bays. Both men were released
on a field appearance ticket with an arraignment date of February 11 in
Southampton Town Justice Court. The misdemeanor commercialization charge carries
a potential maximum penalty of $5,000 and a year in jail.

After charging the men, ECOs took possession of the 398 pound sushi grade
quality summer flounder and donated it to the Lighthouse Mission in
Bellport.

Individuals who observe illegal environmental activities on Long Island are
encouraged to call DEC's Division of Law Enforcement at (631) 444-0250 on
weekdays during business hours, and the Environmental Conservation Officers
Hotline 1-844-DEC-ECOS at all other times to report those activities.

Thursday, January 01, 2015

It was quite a trip. All in all, we traveled roughly 584 million miles cruising at 67,000 mph. It took 365.256 days, and here we are, kind of right back where we started. No rest after that journey. Staying right on course for the next trip. There's a good reason why sometimes it feels like we run around in circles. Anyway, hope to see you all at the turnaround. In the meantime, enjoy the trip, safe travels too. If you're like me, you'll be traveling First Class. That's the section with the fly rods.